10 Forgotten Final Wrestling Matches Of WWE Hall Of Famers
Going out, but not the way you might recall...
7. Mr. Perfect
The decade of the 2000s proved rather depressing for WWE fans of the late eighties and early nineties, as seemingly the participants of WrestleManias 6 and 7 were dropping at an alarming rate. Davey Boy Smith, Road Warrior Hawk, Earthquake, Sensational Sherri, Big Boss Man, and Hercules all went in a several year stretch, with Mr. Perfect sadly joining them in February 2003, as a result of a cocaine overdose. His death came less than a year after a brief comeback with WWE ended.
Months following his exit from New York, Hennig, like other veteran names of the business, joined the upstart TNA promotion, and he was quickly treated like the Curt Hennig of old. NWA World title matches with Ron Killings and Jeff Jarrett followed, though his final match was admittedly less auspicious. Late in 2002, Hennig had run afoul of a stable of second-generation wrestlers, including David Flair, Brian Christopher, and Erik Watts. On January 8, 2003, five weeks before his death, Hennig defeated the younger Flair in an unusual "Axe Handle on a Pole" match. There was an awkward moment in which a young crew member kindly fetched the axe for Hennig, only for Perfect to aggressively shove him to the floor after the handoff. What was up with that?
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.